I heard Keane interview him on WTAM, and he mentioned a couple times how happy he was to hear that ball flies out to right center when it warms up at the Jake.

When asked what the favorite part of his game was, Barfield said flatly "hitting home runs" and that "chicks love the long ball". That was a little concerning to me, especially if the Tribe is grooming him as a 2 hole hitter.

Barfield said he's a 30-40 SB guy too. He said hitting in front of the pitcher for most of the year in SD limited his chances to steal bases.

Yeah, I caught that interview....although the HR comment to me sounded more like he was laughing about it and kidding. Solid interview, and you can just hear how solid an individual this kid is. The guy's playstyle is exactly like Sizemore....runs out every play and runs through walls. He and Grady will battle for dirtiest uniform on the field on a nightly basis.

I will never buy a Browns/Cavs/Indians jersey again. With the way players jump teams in all sports now every 2-4 years, forget it. I used to make fun of those guys with their name on the back of the jersey, but they are the smart ones. My next Browns jersey is a Lastoria "24" jersey.

Heard Kenny "The Clueless Wonder" Rhoda (hate rental cars, missing my XM) interview the MLB.com writer who covers the Padres today and he was nearly brought to tears talking about this trade.

He says Barfield is a terrific person, one of the nicest guys he has ever covered. He thinks he will be a gold glove level second baseman and will be a .300/20 guy. If he gets to hit in the 2 hole with Pronk third he will get a shitload of pitches to hit.

If Carlos Lee was in the price range before getting Barfield, then Soriano is in the price range now. With the 4 million they are saving by having Barfield at second, I think it brings everyone into the budget.

Reports say that we are destined to just miss on all the big free agents, so enought with all the talk.

Why wouldn't we do whatever we can to land one of the 3? It does not make any sense. So we can spend money on this list of free agent bumbs for the bullpen? We might as well spend the cash on a SP and a stud LF. Trade Lee and prospects for some bullpen help.

When was the last time the Indians landed one of the Top 3 free agents?

Heck - when was the FIRST time....

When is the last time the Indians won a World Series? Maybe it is time, after nearly 60 years to change the formula. Just a thought.

Nice idea. Still not going to happen. Until baseball gets real revinue sharing, the Indians are never going to be in the market for a top free agent. (I'd love to be proven wrong, but the truth is the market just does not support that type of signing. It didn't when Jacobs and Hart ran the team and were selling out 455 games in a row - why would it now?)

This is one of Crank's Rules. Its called the self fulfilling prophecy - set up something that the Indians can never hope to do, and when it doesn't happen the fan jumps up and screams - Dolan is cheap!!!!

So what can I expect out of the Indians this off-season. Please provide the blueprint for what you think A) the Indians should do and B) what they will do.

There were only 3 guys that would upgrade this offense heading into 2007. Sheffield, Soriano and Carlos Lee. One is gone. One is out of our range. The third will become out of our price range because he is the only other option for about 25 teams looking for help.

So we will fix the bullpen, right? With who? You either add 4 guys to this unit or you might as well add just a closer. Either go with the kids out there or bring in an entire new bullpen. I say go with the kids and spend money on offense, because it does not really matter who is in the bullpen when Wedge is calling the shots.

I'm curious to see what happens with Frank Thomas and the A's - if Thomas does not sign i expect Oakland to turn up the heat on getting Garko for a reliever or two - and that makes me nervous, not just because of trading Garko but because i have read Moneyball and know what Beane thinks of relievers - if Beane wants to trade a reliever or two i want to know whats wrong with them...

i think their are arms out there to add one or two as free agents - but i would look at Steve Kline or Darren Oliver, as well as someone like Foulke, Roberto Hernandez (i know most here won't like that, but he is experienced, and has pitched both as a set up guy and a closer) to support whatever the Indians do in a trade....

the offense really doesn't need upgraded as much as the pen needs upgraded - after the pen is done if the offense can be upgraded, great - but to go into the offseason looking to upgrade the offense and ignoring the pen is just sheer lunacy (in my less than humble opinion)

Sheffield had no fit here (we have a DH), Soriano is going to a major market, and i still expect Lee to go back to Chicago (but with the Cubbies) so the Indians weren't going to be in the running with any of them...

Boy. If that is the big off-season Shapiro has been hinting at, we are in trouble. A bunch of re-tread bullpen guys for $20 million dollar payroll increase.

Who exactly is playing first base if we trade Garko? Are we back to Victor at first and Kelly catching? So now we have downgraded the offense.

This sounds a lot like the winter before last year, except we added a couple starting pitchers instead of relievers.

I just believe they need to do something to re-energize the organization, and they way to do that is not with Darren Oliver and Steve Kline. I would rather the lefties in the bullpen be Sipp and Perez over those two.

These guys each have 15-20 teams with interest in them. Baseball revenues, attendance, and profits are at an all time high. There are more teams with money to spend this off-season than ever before. And the FA market sucks. Players are going to get overpaid to proportions not seen since the ARod and Manny blockbuster deals brought baseball salaries to the next level.

Why in the hell would either of these guys come here? To win a WS? We were 78-84 last year, haven't won one since '48, and are in the toughest division in baseball. The weather sucks. The manager is like 34 years old and has no respect around the league.

Saying "pay whatever it takes" sounds great, and is an argument I myself have made in past years. But it simply doesn't work here. You don't think there's not ten more GMs in more desirable locales saying the same thing? I still say Soriano is going nowhere. He loves DC, is an idolized icon there. They got a sweet new park coming next year.

It's going to be a challenging offseason for Shapiro. And I totally agree with you in your take that we should not take the offense for granted just because we ranked 1 and 3 in the AL the last two years. Marte, Peralta are questions. Barfield in a new league. Garko not going Jody Gerut. Blake in a odd year.

I do think Shapiro will find a way to get a solid player in the tier below Soriano/Lee for LF. Whether that is Moises Alou, or a trade ... its hard to say.

I think Shapiro will also add 3 arms for the bullpen. Two former Indians Id love to see come back are Justin Speier and Steve Kline.

Im the king of the offseason melt, and have echoed many of your takes the last two off-seasons. Call me crazy, I have a gut feeling that this offseason plays out pretty well for the Indians and Shapiro, even without a big name signing.

Im the king of the offseason melt, and have echoed many of your takes the last two off-seasons. Call me crazy, I have a gut feeling that this offseason plays out pretty well for the Indians and Shapiro, even without a big name signing.

You're crazy

Shapiro is on record saying the payroll will go up 20-25 million. Justin Speier and Steve Kline are not making that kind of jack. We saved money acquiring Barfield to play 2nd. I just can't figure out what they are spending it on if it is not one of those 2 guys.

We have become so pathetic and lowered our expectation so much over the last couple of years that we believe players like this are out of our reach. I refuse to believe that. I have long said the goal of this front office is to convince the fans that they cannot sign these guys. I guess it has worked.

Next you will be telling me Wedge has control of this team and dugout.

I asked this before and do not believe you answered. If you are a free agent and your top two offers are Cleveland and Los Angeles, where do you go?

I would say that choice would be diferent depending on who I am. There is no way to predict it. Some players would rather be in the midwest. Some players would rather be on the west or east coast. Some don't care as long as the checks keep coming in. Personally, I have been out west, going to school in Arizona, and I would pick Cleveland 100 times out of 100. All I am asking is they give it a shot. If it does not work, what did it cost us? I don't see how this has any meaning to the conversation, which is why I have not answered it. It is akin to not asking a hot chick on a date because you already know she will say no. Well I know plenty of people that asked that hot chick and are now married to them.

Keep in mind that money can go to extending current players

Which does nothing for improving the 2007 Indians, which is what I care about.

as well as trading for a contract that someone else wants to dump.

That is fine, but I do not know the availability of any salary dumps. I am not saying get Lee or Soriano or I am out as a fan. I am saying take any steps possible to improve the team. Both of them improve the team and should be strongly considered.

I asked this before and do not believe you answered. If you are a free agent and your top two offers are Cleveland and Los Angeles, where do you go?

I would say that choice would be diferent depending on who I am. There is no way to predict it. Some players would rather be in the midwest. Some players would rather be on the west or east coast. Some don't care as long as the checks keep coming in. Personally, I have been out west, going to school in Arizona, and I would pick Cleveland 100 times out of 100.

Great response - you and i are a lot more alike then we might think. Unfortunately not realistic - marquis free agents are going to go to the bigger market all the time, or force the smaller market to over pay for their services (think of Toronto last year with BJ Ryan, or about any free agent the Orioles have signed).

All I am asking is they give it a shot. If it does not work, what did it cost us? I don't see how this has any meaning to the conversation, which is why I have not answered it. It is akin to not asking a hot chick on a date because you already know she will say no. Well I know plenty of people that asked that hot chick and are now married to them.

It has plenty of meaning to the conversation - the larger markets give more outside revinue opportunities. Does ARod do a Pepsi Commercial if he stays in Texas or Seattle? I'm not saying they shouldn't try - i am saying we shouldn't expect.

Keep in mind that money can go to extending current players

Which does nothing for improving the 2007 Indians, which is what I care about.

Short term thinking. You are a fan - you have your right to that. The FO does not have that luxury.

as well as trading for a contract that someone else wants to dump.

That is fine, but I do not know the availability of any salary dumps. I am not saying get Lee or Soriano or I am out as a fan. I am saying take any steps possible to improve the team. Both of them improve the team and should be strongly considered.[/quote]

But they aren't going to happen. I don't know of any salary dumps available either, but i guess that wasn't the point i was trying to make. You sit look at the FA market and wonder what the Indians are going to get - the truth is the players they need just aren't on the free agent market (why do you think they got Barfield? did you take a look at the second basemen available?), so while you sit and wait for them to sign someone that they aren't going to sign (at positions that are not of need), i would rather wonder what type of trades are going to be made.

There are other options to add to a team than signing Free Agents. And with the FA that are available not matching with the needs of this team, i would expect very little to be done in FAgency (other than perhaps a secondary arm or two for the pen) and almost everything to be done in trades.

I hope they kick the tires on Soriano and Lee both. And i hope they walk away from what i know will be highly inflated prices for both players.